Crabtree murder trial: Murder accused tells jury he was handed gun moments before shot was fired - and it had gone off accidentally

A man, who has admitted killing a drug courier, has said he was handed the gun shortly before the fatal shooting - and he had not meant to fire it.

Lewis Hutchinson fired the shot that killed Mihai Dobre in Crabtree, Paston, Peterborough in the early hours of April 13 last year.

Hutchinson has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but denies murder and conspiracy to rob

Hutchinson took to the witness stand on Friday (February 3) to give evidence in his trial.

The jury at Peterborough Crown Court have previously heard from Christopher Pycroft, who said Hutchinson had suggested robbing the drugs runner after smoking crack cocaine at his (Pycroft’s) home, before leaving the house, and returning with a gun a short time later.

Hutchinson told the jury Pycroft’s version of events was not true.

He said he had visited Pycroft’s home in Crabtree twice on the evening of April 12 - the first after he visited a Spar shop at around 9pm.

He said he had gone to see if a friend had been at Pycroft’s home - and when he found the friend was not there, he had left the home.

He said he returned to the property later in the evening, after midnight.

He told the court he had once again been looking for his friend, and left a few minutes after arriving.

The court has heard Mr Dobre had arrived in his car to deliver drugs to the street.

Pycroft told the jury an order had been made to a drugs delivery line, known as ‘The Turks,’ and he and Hutchinson were planning to rob him.

But Hutchinson said that was not the case. He told the jury he had been drinking since the previous day, and was heading home when the incident happened.

He said: “I said I was going home. He (Pycroft) asked which way I was going. I said I was walking towards Dogsthorpe. He said ‘wait a minute, I’ll walk with you’ because he had to purchase some drugs.

“We left the front of the house and walked round the corner, and I saw a set of headlights.”

"He said ‘can you hold this for me while I purchase the drugs.’ He had the shotgun.”

He was asked by Nathan Risiah KC, defending Hutchinson, when he first became aware of the shotgun.

He said: “When we got to the front of his house. That's when he said ‘can you hold this for me while I purchase the drugs.’ He had the shotgun.”

Hutchinson described the gun as being dark in colour, with one barrel.

Hutchinson said he did not know that the gun was loaded.

He described approaching the car and walking round the passenger side of the car, and stopping, while Pycroft went to speak to Mr Dobre.

He said: “There was a street light behind me. I opened my jacket to look at the gun. To see if it was a real gun.

“The lamp had a bright light on it. I was looking at the gun and it went off.”

He said didn’t know if he had pulled the trigger, saying ‘it just went off.’

Hutchinson said the pair then ran from the scene. He said he handed Pycroft the gun back, before they split up - Pycroft running down an alleyway, while Hutchinson ran to the Paston Traveller’s site.

He said he sat in a car at the site for a few hours, before going into a bungalow on the site.

In the morning, he said he went into the city centre, and went to the College Arms pub.

He called his gran, who lives in Skegness, to come and pick him up and take him to the Lincolnshire town.

"I went to the beach as it brought back memories of having a nice time”

He said when he got to Skegness, he went for a long walk on the beach.

He said: “I’m a family man. I love all my family. We always took them to the seaside. I went to the beach as it brought back memories of having a nice time. I was going to commit suicide and drown myself, to be honest, but I couldn’t do it.”

Hutchinson also told the court that he did not use crack cocaine, but did use cannabis about three times a week, and cocaine about once a month.

“It was not my gun, I had no intention to hurt anybody”

He was asked by Mr Risiah if he intended to shoot Mr Dobre, if he intended to shoot anyone, if he intended to pull the trigger, if he intended to kill anyone, if he intended to cause anyone really serious harm, or if he had planned with Pycroft to rob Mr Dobre, or anyone else.

Hutchinson replied ‘no’ to all the questions.

He told the jury: “It was not my gun, I had no intention to hurt anybody”.

The gun has never been found.

Hutchinson, 29, of Eastern Avenue, Peterborough, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and not guilty to murder and conspiracy to rob.

Pycroft, 40, of Crabtree, Paston, Peterborough has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob.

The trial continues.